Tag Archive for: careers

Job Hunting Tips

So your exams are finished and you’re one step closer to the big bad world of work.

Whether your finished your final exams or just looking for part time work, over the summer job hunting can sometimes fall to the bottom of your to-do list. It can therefore be useful to schedule at least 15 minutes a day to work on your CV and search job listings as opportunities come and go quickly. Job hunting can be a daunting process and you may have to prepare yourself  to get turned down from a number of jobs, or perhaps not hear back from others before the right one comes along. Here are a number of tips to help kick start your job hunt:

Job Hunting Tips

  • Make sure your CV is up to date and professionally laid out.
  • If you have a LinkedIn account, make sure this too is up to date and the information included matches your CV. (Check out the LinkedIn Student Job Hunting Handbook for tips)
  • Cast an eye over each of your social networks, is everything that you have publicly visible appropriate?
  • Search the hashtag #Jobfairy on Twitter for roles that may not be advertised on formal websites.
  • There are many Irish jobs websites that pop up after a simple Google search including Jobbio.com, Monster.ie, IrishJobs.ie, Jobs.ie, Indeed.com amongst others. Check these daily to search for vacancies in your field.
  • Check out LinkedIn Jobs section and the specific career sections of company websites where further vacancies may be advertised.
  • Visit the DCU Engage portal where a number of jobs are posted.
  • Search on websites such as Eventbrite.ie for networking events near you that may give rise to employment opportunities.
  • If you feel like you want to become more specialised in your field before seeking full time employment, consider furthering your education with a postgraduate degree in DCU Business School – approximately 95% of our Masters graduates are employed or in further study within 6 months of graduating.
  • Consider starting your own business.
  • Be persistent and stay positive during your search – belief in yourself and in your abilities is a major factor in successful job hunting.

The DCU Careers Service provides inclusive service to support, guide and empower students to make informed career decisions to maximise your personal and professional development. They have have a number of resources to help you along the way including information on how to put together your CV and how to prepare for interviews and you can even book an appointment to meet with a Careers Advisor for one-on-one advice.

The Careers team  is committed to providing a wide variety of professional services to support you in making career decisions that are best suited to your qualifications, interests, abilities and aspirations. For more information visit DCU Careers Service.

Spotlight: DCU Business School Executive MBA

The DCU Executive MBA is a two-year part-time programme that is widely recognised as the degree of choice for rising executives with ambitions to be Senior Managers/CEOs, whatever their specialist backgrounds. Here are ten reasons why it may be the programme for you:

1. Accredited and internationally recognised

DCU’s Executive MBA is accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA), which assesses the quality of MBA programmes worldwide. You will graduate with an internationally recognised and accredited qualification. DCU Business School is also one of only two schools in Ireland with AACSB accreditation – placing it in the top 5% worldwide.

2. Adding Value to Practice

MBA participants, along with other assignments, will conduct a strategic consultancy project, which integrates the knowledge, skills and values of the programme and provides an opportunity for to deliver real value to your organisation.

3. Leadership Development & Career Management Programme

MBA participants pursue a programme of action-based projects and workshops over 2 years. Self-assessments, and team and facilitator feedback develop self-awareness of own leadership competencies, facilitates targeting development opportunities, deepens emotional intelligence and enhances competence to think and act as a leader and people manager.

4. Enterprise Engagement

The DCU Executive MBA programme embodies the key values of the University’s strategy in its emphasis on enterprise and translation of knowledge into practice. The Enterprise Engagement module includes visits to a number of companies with strong growth strategies. The visits are supported by lectures and our Executive Speaker Series on issues relating to globalisation, sustainability and strategic growth.

5. International Exposure

MBA participants will broaden their perspective and focus upon global organisations on the International Study Week. In recent years, participants have attended lectures on leadership, global strategy and innovation at Harvard, Boston University and Stanford University. Visits to San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Boston included meetings with start-ups, incubators and multinational organisations focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, strategy and new technologies.

6. Small class sizes

We believe that an interactive and participative learning environment is best achieved in small classes

7. Academically Rigorous

The MBA teaching faculty are leaders in their field, with many publishing in leading international journals and presenting at international conferences. DCU Business School research priorities emphasise equally the creation of new knowledge (discipline-based scholarship) and the application, transfer and interpretation of knowledge to improve management practice and teaching (contributions to practice).

8. A holistic approach to learning

We adopt three approaches to learning:

  • A focus on knowledge, where participants engage in class-based lectures and workshops
  • A focus on leadership skills, working in a hands-on team-based environment and assess and develop their own leadership competencies
  • A focus on action, engaging in projects applying lessons learnt back into practice
9. Alumni Network

When you join the DCU Executive MBA programme, you will join a global network of almost DCU 16,000 DCU Business School graduates, including 1,000 MBA’s. The DCU Business School Alumni group is a vibrant and active community with many of the graduates participating in events and activities throughout the year. These include:

  • Business Breakfast Briefings
  • Alumni Networking Evenings and Social Events
  • Alumni Careers Day

DCU Business School values its Alumni and appreciates the contribution that they make to the life of the School by their involvement with various initiatives. We also want to be a life-long resource and partner to our Alumni throughout their careers.

10. Employment and Career Prospects

DCU Executive MBA graduates are highly sought after in the jobs market, with many going on to pursue senior management roles in organisations both at home and abroad. Recent graduates are now working in roles such as Client Manager, Construction Director, Enterprise Architect, Financial Controller, Managing Director, Product Manager Sales Director, Senior Software Engineer, and Technical Programme Manager.

Interested in learning more about our Executive MBA programme? Download our brochure here

HEA First Destination Return Survey

Every year DCU is required by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to conduct a survey among recent graduates on their employment status, up to a year after graduation. The survey is called the HEA First Destination Return. It is used to report on graduate employability and to help us develop and improve our services to students. We are asking everyone who recently completed a course at DCU in 2015 to take part in the survey to find out what they have gone on to do.

The survey takes about 3 minutes to complete. We are asking everyone to complete the survey, even if you continued to study at DCU, or if the course you completed was a course you did whilst working (e.g part-time course). If you do not complete the online survey, we will telephone you to follow up. Please contact us if you want to specify a time and date to be called.

You will need your DCU Student Number to complete the survey. Please note that the information you give is confidential and will only be used in the preparation of statistics.

Click here for the survey

To say thanks for your participation, you will be entered into a draw for a €200 One for All Voucher, or one of 5 DCU hoodies.

If you have any questions regarding the survey, please email the DCU Careers Service at careers@dcu.ie

Although you may have now completed your course, DCU Careers Service is still available to you. If you would like help finding employment opportunities and developing your career plan, please contact careers@dcu.ie.